Canon EOS 5D Mark II vs Nikon D300s

This is a full comparison between the cameras Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Nikon D300s. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Nikon D300s

Manufacturing

Canon EOS 5D Mark II is manufacturered by Canon but Nikon D300s is from Nikon. Both Canon and Nikon are well known brands though.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II were released 2008 and Nikon D300s was released 2009. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	2008
Nikon D300s	2009

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a "Canon Full Frame"-sensor while Nikon D300s has a "Nikon DX"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D300s	75 mm Nikon DX sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a 21,1 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D300s has 12,3 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	21,1 MP 21026304 pixels 5616 x 3744
Nikon D300s	12,3 MP 12212224 pixels 4288 x 2848

Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a 72 % larger resolution than Nikon D300s. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D300s. Canon EOS 5D Mark II has an ISO range that stretches from 50 to 25600 while Nikon D300s has 200 to 6400.

Camera	ISO Range
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	50-25600
Nikon D300s	200-6400

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D300s

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Canon EOS 5D Mark II can shoot up to 3,9 pictures per seconds and Nikon D300s can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	3,9
Nikon D300s	7

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Nikon D300s can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Nikon D300s weighs 938 gr (equal to 2.07 lb) which is 10% heavier than Canon EOS 5D Mark II and its 850 gr (or 1.87 lb).

Camera	Weight
Canon EOS 5D Mark II	850 gr 1.87 lb
Nikon D300s	938 gr 2.07 lb